In the news – His Holiness The Dalai Lama speaks out about bull-fighting

To Whom it May Concern 

Today, together with a growing appreciation of the importance of human rights there is a greater awareness worldwide of the need for the protection not only of the environment, but also of animals and their rights. Unfortunately, there continue to be those who feel it is not only acceptable, but also a pleasure, to hunt or fight with animals, resulting in the painful deaths of those animals. This seems to contradict the general spirit of egalitarianism growing in most societies today.

I deeply believe that human beings are basically gentle by nature and I feel that we should not only maintain gentle and peaceful relations with our fellow human beings but that it is also very important to extend the same kind of attitude towards the environment and the animals who naturally live in harmony with it. As a boy studying Buddhism in Tibet, I was taught the importance of a caring attitude towards others. Such a practice of non-violence applies to all sentient beings – any living thing that has a mind. Where there is a mind, there are feelings such as pain, pleasure and joy. No sentient beings want pain, instead all want happiness. Since we all share these feelings at some basic level, we as rational human beings have an obligation to contribute in whatever way we can to the happiness of other species and try our best to relieve their fears and sufferings.

Therefore, I am happy to support the Comité Radicalement Anti-Corrida (CRAC) which is campaigning to prevent bullfighting.